Lap-ring.



No. 758,800. PATENTED MAY 3, 1904. P. WENKE.

LAP RING.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 2, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

W TNESS fNI ENTOR UNTTED STATES Patented May 3, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

LAP-RING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,800, dated May 3, 1904.

Application filed December 2, 1908. Serial No. 183,526. (No model.)

To (til 717mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRAXZ \VENKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort \Vingate. in the county of McKinley, Territory of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lap-Rings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to a lap-ring, and particularl y to a construction adapted to prevent the longitudinal slipping or giving of the free ends of the ring upon each other when under tension.

The invention has for an object to provide a lap-ring having its free ends disposed parallel and in contact with each other, while they are also adapted to move directly toward and from each other in the opening of the ring, and one of the ends is provided with laterallydisposedprojections adapted to enter corresponding recesses in the abutting face of the opposite end. and thus prevent any longitudinal movement of these ends upon each other when the ring is closed and under tension.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth, and the novel features thereof delined by the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective showing the ring opened. Fig. 2 is an eleva tion of the ring closed. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a perspective of a modified form.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several ligures of the drawings.

The lap-ring A is adapted to be formed of any desired material, dependent upon the use to which it is to be placer -for instance, wrought or malleable iron or steel, brass, or copper when the ring is not intended to be opened for removal and replacement, and in the latter instance it should be made of springsteel and properly tempered when desired for a key-ring or similar object adapted to be sprung open. The opposite free ends A of the ring are disposed parallel to each other and provided with abutting faces A, which when the ring is opened and closed are adapted to move directly toward and from each For the purpose of preventing longiother.

tudinal movement of these free ends upon each other projections and recesses may be provided upon these abutting faces of any desired construction. For instance, as shown in Fig. 1, lugs or pins A" are formed upon one face and adapted to seat in corresponding sockets or recesses A upon the coi'rperating face, so that when the ring is in a closed position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, these lugs are seated within the recesses and prcventany longitudinal movement of the free ends of the ring upon each other when tension is applied thereto. The ring is formed of a single piece of material, and the ends thereof extend in a single segmental path and are adapted to be readily formed by machinery, so that a very simple and economically-manufactured construction is presented.

In Fig. at a modilicd form of ring B is shown, in which the end B is curved upon its upper face and there provided with lugs or pins B while the cooperating abutting face B is likewise curved or con -aved upon its inner face to fit the convexed face of the end B and provided with a series of sockets B to receive the lugs B. The curved faces upon the abutting ends in this form perform all of the functions secured by the flat faces A in Fig. 1 and in addition resist any tendency to a transverse movement of the free ends upon each other.

In the application of the invention the abutting faces of the free ends are brought into contact with each other and the lateral projections upon one end enter the recesses upon the cooperating end, thus firmly resisting any tendency to a longitudinal movement of the ends upon each other, which frequently occurs in this character of rings when tension is placed thereon. It also provides a ring which when necessary or desirable may be opened by a movement of the free ends directly from each other and closed in a similar manner, thus obviating the necessity of welding the rings, which cannot be successfully accomplished in many instances, such as in lieldwork where the proper heat is not readily obtainable. When the rings are made of spring material, the ends are held in contact by the elasticity thereof and are separated under tension, while if the ring be made of material other than the above it may be normally separated or open and after the insertion of the ring in position for use be readily closed into firm contact, Where it will offer a very strong frictional resistance which effectually prevents the giving or slipping of the ends of the ring upon each other.

It will be obvious that changes may be made in the details of the construction and configuration of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof as defined by the appended claim.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what 1 claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A lap-ring having overlapping ends disposed substantially parallel to each other in the same segmental path and provided with meeting faces, and a series of lugs or pins extending transversely from the meeting face of one end and arranged to engage cooperating alined sockets upon the meeting face of the opposite end when said ends are brought into contact by movement directly toward each other.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANZ WENKE.

Witnesses:

J. H. LEWIS, WV. S. VALENTINE. 

